Electric ingot-extractor.



No. 781,688. PATBN'I'ED PEB. 7, 1905. J. R. SPEBR @n W. H. BALTZELL.

ELECTRIC INGOT EXTRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1900.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

SSHEBTS-SHEET 2.

PATBNTED PEB. 7, 1905.

J. R. SPEER & W. H. BLTZBLL. ELECTRIC INGOT EXTRACTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 17, 1900 No. 781,688. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. J. R. SPEER & W. H. BALTZELL.

ELECTRIC INGOT BXTRACTR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 17. 1900.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTORS Jazwasamoyjvccr WM ATTORNEY Patented February '7, 1905.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFTCE..

JAMES RAMSEY SPEIR AND WILLIE I-I. BALIZELL, OF PITTSBURbr, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC INGOT-EXTRACTOFI.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N0. 781,688, dated February 7, 1905,

Application filed Mayl', 1900. Serial No. 17,008.

To (1f/y whom, it may concer/1,..-

Be it known that we, Jaulas R.\i\IsiiYS1 i1i-m and \ViLLin H. BALTznLL, citizens of, the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in IIlectric Ingot-Ixtractors, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanyingdrawings, which make part of this specitication, Figure I is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of our electric ingot-stripper in a position just anterior to the application of power to strip the ingot. Fig. II is an elevation at right angles to Fig. land partly in section, representing the mold in a position after it has been stripped from the ingot and raised clear of the same.

rlhis tigure also shows the bridge of the overhead traveling crane upon which the trolley runs from which the ingot-stripper is suspended. In Fig. II the rot-ating mechanism has turned the stripping mechanism to a position at right angles to that shown in Fig. I. Fig. Ill is a detail perspective` on an enlarged scale, of the parts most directly engaged in stripping and with a mechanism for rotating the stripper. Fig. IV is a View` partly in vertical section, showing our stripper ready to push an ingot into a hollow stool.

Various expedients have been resorted to heretofore to separate the cast ingot from its mold. In the older and cruder periods of the art the mold, with the contained ingot, was lifted in the air,and if the ingot would not slide out it was sometimes bumped or jarred out by rapidly lowering the mold until it struck a metal plate set in the floor of the mill with a hole in its center through which the ingot was i precipitated by the shock. At times also resort was had to sledges, by the use of which the ingot was hammered from the mold. Attempts more or less successful for getting the ingot out of the mold are shown in certain apparatus which depend upon the weight of the mold and ingot as a force to effect a separation of the two bodies. .ln some types of this apparatus a pair of molds and ing-ots was suspended lfrom the jib of a crane in mid-air and in others only one mold and ingot; but in each case prol l l l l l l l l l l l vision was made, by means of chains, levers, and plungcrs, to exert a pressing force upon the top of the ingot derived from the weight of the mold and ingot while the mold is held sustained. In another development of the art the ingot and mold contained therein were laid on their side in a frame which held the mold, while a horizontallyacting hydraulic ram pushed the ingot from the mold. The objections to this method are obvious, as it involves scoring the lower inside portion of the mold and unnecessary and costly handling of the mold and ingot into and out from their horizontal positions. Still another method of stri1')ping was practiced by swinging a hydraulic cylinder from the jib of a crane, said cylinder being' provided with hooks and links adapted to engage the lugs on the ingot-mold, while the ram of the cylinder engaged the head of the ingot. ,In the use of this apparatus the mold and contained ingot were lirst lifted Vfrom the floor of the pit some eight or ten inches and then the power applied to the ram. This virtually was a vert-ical punching ejection in mid-air. An other system of separating' the ingot Vfrom the mold is a device seen in certain patents wherein the ingot and mold are lowered into an open frame which supports the mold, while beneath the ingot .is a pit. By the application of a hydraulic ram to the head of the ingot the same is forced down into the pit, leaving the mold standingin the frame. Another line of appliances might be classed under the head of movable molds" and stationary ingots. The distinguishing feature of these vforms of apparatus is some form of stop which holds the ingot in sfffzf/ que while power mechanism is applied tothe mold to strip or pull oli' the same over the head of the ingot. T his method, broadly sl'ieaking, of making a cleavage between the casting and its mold by means otl a head-stop on the casting and a vertical pull on the mold is quite old, but in the last few years has been amplified into a long line ot' hydraulic strippers differing' from each other in certain mechanical details, but all embodying' the same principle of ope1ation--viZ., of the retention of the ingot in position while the mold is raised.

This last class of strippers, while accomplishing with more or less effectiveness this particular work, is nevertheless open to serious objections. The range of horizontal movement with these strippers was exceedingly limited. Horizontally the stripper only had a movement along a single line and that usually a short run. In other words, this hydraulic stripper had a vertical movement and a movement in one horizontal plane; but in the other horizontal plane at right angles thereto it has none. Movement in this latter plane had to be accomplished by moving the ingot and mold into alinement with the stripper. This was ordinarily done by means of a car hydraulically propelled or moved by a shifting-locomotive. Furthermore, the line of the track on which this c'ar approached had to be substantially at right angles to the line of cross travel of the stripper; otherwise the links on the stripper would not come down parallel with the sides of the mold andv engage the lugs thereon. Strippers of this character are therefore expensive to maintain, requiring not only additional power to bring the material within the sweep of their action, but also additional labor to con trol and man said power. In the use of such strippers cars are required, upon which the mold stands during the process of casting by these cars, and the ingot and mold are moved to the stripper, and by these cars the empty molds and ingots are removed from the stripper. Since these hydraulic strippers in practice are limited to a short travel in one direction only, they can only lift the mold from one fixed location and set it down again in another fixed location distant only a few feet. Therefore where two or more ingots are cast on one car the car must be moved after each ingot is stripped a distance equal to the distance between the centers of two adjacentmolds. Furthermore, strippers of this class invariably employ hydraulic power as a motor. This not only is costly to generate, but is also troublesome in handling. The water is liable to leak at the joints and stuffing-boxes, tending to reduce the pressure on the whole hydraulic system and interfering with the efiicient operation of other hydraulic machines on the same line of connection.

In the present electric ingot-stripper, although we have seen fit to illustrate the same with cars to show its adaptability for casting on cars, yet the stripper is equally satisfactory where the ingots are cast on stationary stools, and, in fact, is the only commercial apparatus, so far as we are aware, which is so adapted for use with casting on fixed stools.

By the use of our apparatus we can dispense with cars, if desired, and also with the use of shifting-locomotives or other power ordinarily employed in moving' such cars. lVe may cast at any point in the mill which is within a superficial area traversed by the bridge, and we may strip at any point in such area and also irrespective of the angle at which the mold may stand with relation to the stripper. This involves both great freedom and range of action. Again, if for any reason it should be desirable to cast on cars the casting may take place at any point outside the sweep of action of the crane and stripper and the car then run to within the range of action of the stripper and the stripping immediately take place irrespective of the angle at which the track may intersect the line of movement of the crane or whether the cars be standing on a curved piece of track or not.

The construction, relative arrangement, and mode of operation of our stripper has been so modified as to permit the same to be electrically actuated instead of hydraulically, thus materially reducing the expense of working the same, as well as keeping the same in repair and efficient condition.

In the several views which make part of this specification, 2 2 indicate the exterior walls of the mill or, at least, ofv the stripping department thereof.

3 8 are suitable pillars upon which are supported the rails 4 4,. which form a track for the bridge 5 of an overhead traveling crane electrically operated by means of a suitable motor and driven by shaft 5 and gearing 5b. Trolley 6, driven in any approved manner, runs upon'the tracks 8 8 of this bridge. The trolley 6 has suspended from it the extracting mechanism and also carries the electric motors which actuate the stripping mechanism, which rotates the stripping mechanism, and which lift the mold after the same has become loosened from the ingot.

9 is the motor which specifically controls the mechanism for separating the mold and ingot. Through suitable shafts and gearing 10 1() power is communicated from said motor 9 to a square shaft 11. This shaft 11 is fitted to turn in bearing 11, set in the trolley 6,

and also passes with a loose fit through a hol-` low screw 12, which has-a right-hand thread at its upper end and a left hand thread at its lower end. The right-hand thread engages with a nut 13, formed on the inner and upper end of the sleeve or bar 14, in the lower end of which is set the stop 15. The left-hand thread engages with the nut 16, formed on the inner and upper end of sleeve or bar 17, the lower ends of which are pivotally secured with mold-engaging devices or links 18 18.

The stripping mechanism is suspended by chains 19 19, which pass over sheaves 2() 20, driven in any approved manner. The lower ends of the chains 19 19 are attached to a crosshead 22, which fits around sleeve 14. The cross-head is provided with slides 23 23, .which move in guideways 24 24 as the extracting mechanism is raised and lowered. Gear-wheel 26, driven by any well-known means, communicates a rotary motion to the vertical IOO square shaft QT, which passes with a loose tit through the pinion Q8, which meshes with the gear Q8", secured around sleeve 11 11, and thus rotates the stripping mechanism and tongs. Shaft 2T permits the pinion Q8 to slide up and down upon itself when the mold is lifted to clear the top of the ingot after extraction or when the tongs are lowered. The square shaft 27, like the square shaft 11, is supported in a bearing at its upper end.

Q9 29 are the ingots.

3() 30 are the ingot-molds, having' lugs 30" 302 31 31, the stools upon which the ingot and mold sit; 32 3Q, the cars.

The operation of the device is as follows: ,1

If the ingots are cast in molds on stationary stools, the stripper is brought over the ingot, or if the ingots are cast upon cars the cars may be run underneath the stripper. .lhe stripping mechanism is then let down by lowering the chains 19 until the stop engages the upper end of the ingot, the parts being as shown on Fig. 1. The screw is then rotated to cause the tongs 18 to rise until they engage the under side of the lugs or ears 30 on the mold. A continuation of the motion of the hollow screw exerts a lifting' force on the tongs 1S, serving to lift up the mold 30, while the stop 15 with an equal force bears upon the top of the ingot-and resists its tendency to rise with the mold. The travel of a few inches is nsuallysufticient to accomplish the separation of the mold from theingot. lVhen the mold is clear from its adhesion to the ingot, the sheaves head 22, the hollow' screw 12, the right and left hand nuts and their connected parts, including the tongs and the empty mold. W'hen the mold is raised until entirely clear of the ingot` either the bridge 5 or the trolley 6, or both, are put in motion and the mold transferred until it arrives over the spot where it is desired the same to be deposited. Sheaves 2t) 2() are ag'ain rotated in a reverse direction and the mold lowered either upon an empty car or upon a stool or upon a rack. lVhile the cross-head Q2 is being' lifted and lowered the hollow screw 12 moves up and down upon the same, and the pinion Q8 moves up and down upon the square shaft QT. lVliere the mold and ingot are removed from the stool 31 to hollow stools or placed over holesin a floor, as is sometimes the practice, the chains will be slacked a little after the stop 15 engages the mold, the whole weight of the stripping mechanism from the cross-head down resting on the ingot. Upon rotation of the screw the mold will remain stationary, and the stop will act as a plunger to push the mgot into the floor, it being thus clear that the stop may have travel independently of the bar 1T.

Owing to the way in which many plants are arranged it is often desirable to bring cars with cast ingots and their molds under the stripper from various directions and at various angles. Again, when the casting is not done upon the car, but upon the stationary stools, these stools may be set at any variety of angles with the lines of the horizontal movements of the stripper. The modern hydraulic strippers wholly fail to provide for stripping unless theI molds are presented at right angles to the path of horizontal movement of the stripper. This is on occasions a serious matter, particularly where strippers are installed in old plants where the runs of track cannot be easily altered, or even in the designs of new plants it is often desirable to bring in the cars on curved lines into the stripping-department. Our present stripper meets this ditliculty by means of the revolution of the pinion QSdriven by square shaft 2T and meshing with gear 2S". The rotation of this gear 28 turns the entire strippingmechanism around at any desired angle through the entire sweep of a circle. In other words, the range of our stripper is over any part of the floor contained in the mill-building, and in this area the stripper can pick up any mold no matter at what angle the same is set.

'.lhe fact that the molds need not be set on straight tracks and on lines intersecting at rig'ht angles the horizontal movements of the stripper is a decided advantage. The molds can be brought in on curved tracks or on tracks intersecting at any angle the horizontal path of the movements of the stripper and yet the s ingots be stripped with equal facility, owing' 20 20 are put m motion, carrying up the crossl to the rotary movement of the stripper upon its axis. This gives the mill-engineer much more freedom in laying' out the design of a mill and makes possible arrangements of the leading-in tracks to the stripper which before were impracticable.

Under certain circumstances the converters, open hearth, or other furnaces may be located in the same building where the stripping is done and the molds carried away from the converters or furnaces by the same overhead crane which bears the stripper. vIn this case the runway provided for the stripper would serve for carrying a suitable ladle-crane to convey material to be cast into the molds.

Our stripper may be used in connection with hollow stripping-stools, as shown in Fig. IV. Here the mold and ing'ot have been transferred from the stool 31 to the stool 31, which has a depression 31" below the ingot and of a size to receive a portion of its length. The mold and ingot having been set on the stool 31L with the ingot above the dcpression 31", the chains l2) are slaekened, as

, shown, so that the stop 15 rests on the top of hollow of the stool or through the hole in the the ingot 29. 1f the tongs 1S are not in engagement with the ears of the mold, the rotation of the screw 12 in the proper direction will cause such engagement. Further rotatation of the screw after such engagement will cause the stop l5 to descend and drive TOO IIO

IIS

a stripper ot' this type which has both a the ingot into the depression of the stool. l There will be no tendency of the tongsy to rise, because the cross-head 22 is above the bottom of the frame ot the guideways Q4, thus leaving the cross-head free to descend. rPhe chains should be slackened, so as to give the cross-head suiiicient travel to eject the ingot from the mold.

We do not wish to confine ourselves in all the claims of this application to the use of traveling bridge and a traveling` trolley, as the peculiar mechanism of our stripper would be useful and a great advance over the hydraulic strippers if it merely had a vertical movement and if the mold were brought into vertical line with the stripper. However, such construction, as we before intimated, we would consider very greatly inferior to the present preferred plan and for the reasons above given.

As in cases of all machinery where one practical and workable design has been illustrated and described, many modifications may be made by skilled infringers. We ourselves have worked out a number of alternative designs embodying the same principle contained in this application diiering considerably in form and general appearance, but have illustrated the present apparatus as being the best form we have conceived and desire to base upon the same broad and generic claims.

Although we do not intend to restrict our general claims tothe use of telescopic apparatus, nevertheless the concentric arrangement of the square shaft 11, the hollow screw- 12, nuts 13 and 16, and sleeves 14 and 17, with cross-head 22, is the most simple, compact, and eiiicient arrangement of the relative parts which we have devised.

Other motive forces besides electricity may be employed in connection with our stripper; but they will be subject to the disadvantages heretofore enumerated.

Having described our invention, we desire to claim 1. In an ingot-stripper, a traveling crane, a screw-threaded mechanism carried thereon, means on the crane for rotating the screwthreade-d mechanism, said means being arranged in such a manner as to cause, by the rotation of said screw-threaded mechanism, relative longitudinal movement of the mold and ingot and means for maintaining the rotating' means in operative relation to the screwthreaded mechanism during the working movements of the latter.

2. In an ingot-stripper, the combination with a hollow bar; mold-engaging devices carried thereby and an ingot-engaging plunger connected with said bar, of avscrew and nuts and means for rotating the screw and simultaneously imparting pressure in opposite directions to the plunger and mold-engaging devices.

3. In an ingot-stripper the combination with a hollow bar and mold and ingot engaging devices carried thereby, of a screw and nuts located within said bar, and adapted to simultaneously impart pressure in opposite directions to the mold-engaging device and plunger.

4. In an ingot-stripper, the combination with a traveling crane, a bar carried thereby, means on .the crane for moving the bar longitudinally, tongs carried by the bar, a screw within said bar and means for rotating the screw and maintaining the latter in operative relation to the screw-rotating means during the working movements of the screw, of a plunger engaging the screw and moved longitudinally thereby.

In an ingot-stripper, the combination with a traveling crane, alongitudinally-movable bar thereon carrying tongs, a screw within said bar, and means for moving the screw longitudinally and for rotating the same, the rotating means remaining in operative lposition during the longitudinal movement of the screw, of a plunger engaging the screw and moved longitudinally independently of said bar by the rotation and longitudinal movements of the screw.

6. In an ingot-stripper, the combination with alongitudinally-movable bar carrying tongs, means for opening said tongs, a screw within the bar and means whereby the screw is moved longitudinally, of a plunger engaging the screw and moved longitudinally independently of said bar, by the screw.

7. In an ingot-stripper, the combination with a bar carrying tongs, a nut within said bar, a double screw engaging said nut, and means for rotating said screw, of a plunger also engaging the screw and moved longitudinally thereby.

8. In an ingot-stripper the combination with a longitudinally-movable bar carrying tongs, a double-screw shaft within' said bar, means for rotating said shaft, and a nut within the bar and engaging one of the screw-sections of the shaft, of a plunger also located within the bar and engaging the other screwsection of the shaft.

9. In ingot-strippers, the combination of an` ingot-stop, amold-lifting device, rotatable operating means for said stop and device, and actuating means for said operating means, said two means relatively slidable.

10. In ingot-strippers, the combination of an ingot-stop, a mold-lifting device, a hollow screw, means in the hollow of the screw for rotating the same, and connections from said screw to the said stop and device.

11. The combination of an overhead trav-l eling crane; a trolley mounted upon said crane and moving transversely to the movements of said crane; a power-screw having right and left hand threads, suspended from said trolley; nuts engaging said threads; mold-lifting and ingot-stopping devices and connections Afrom said nuts respectively to said mold-lifting and ingot-stopping devices, the power exerted by the `screw causing tensional stress to the material of the screw.

12. In ingot-extractors, the combination ot' a trolley; a power-screw havingl right and left hand threads and suspended and driven from said trolley; nuts engaging' said threads: moldli't'ting and ingot-stopping devices and connections `from said nuts respectively to said mold-lifting and ingot-stopping devices, the power exerted by the screw causing tensional stress to the material of the screw.

13. In ingot-strippers the combination of an ingot-stop; a mold -li't'ting` device; a hollow powerscrew having' right and left hand threads; a square shaft telescoping said screw to rotate the same: right and left hand nuts engaging the threads of said power-screw and connections from said nuts respectively to the ingot-stop and the mold-lifting device.

1st. In ingot-strippers, a combination ofan ingot stop: a mold -li'fting device; a powerscrew having right and left hand threads; nuts `for said threads; connections from said nuts respectively to said ingot-stop and the said mold-lifting device and a gear upon one of said nuts whereby the stripping` mechanism may be rotated.

15. In ingot-strippers, the combination ot' an ingot-stop; a mold-lifting device and a power-screw through which power is exerted in such manner as to impart tensional stresses to the material ot' the screw while the ingot is being stripped.

16. In ingot-strippers the combination ot' an ingot-stop; arnold-lifting device; a powerscrew having right and left hand threads; nuts for said threads; connections from said nuts respectively to said ingot-stop and the said mold-lifting device; a gear upon one of said nuts whereby the stripping mechanism may be rotated; a pinion engaging said gear and a square shaft driving said pinion and upon which said pinion may have a vertical movement.

Signed at VPittslmrg this 11th day otl May, 1900.

JA MES RA MSEY SPEER. "1 LLI E 1I. BALTZICLL.

\Vitnesses:

'M. L. Pinnen. Armani) \V. Bm'nrv. 

